Land-based salmon farming not viable: Newfoundland and Labrador government

CP

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - The Newfoundland and Labrador government says land-based salmon farming is not a viable alternative to open-net farming in the ocean.

Some calls were made to move the province's aquaculture industry inland to prevent spread of disease after the recent discovery of dozens of farmed salmon in rivers on the Burin Peninsula.

The Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture says there have been numerous attempts to farm salmon in fully enclosed inland facilities, but they have proven not to be economically, environmentally or technically viable.

The department says research is continuing, however closed containment has not yet been successfully applied on a large-scale commercial basis.

The province says the cost of electricity, construction material and the disposal of waste would leave an equal or greater environmental footprint than current ocean-based cage operations.

The department says it researched 40 inland salmon farms, all of which have closed.